Living in Boston

Home to MBTA, America's first subway system and dubbed "The Walking City" Boston is a pedestrian's perfect city. Bostonites can catch a Red Sox game at Fenway Park, or visit Boston Common, the oldest public park in the US.

The powerhouse investment firm, Fidelity Investments, solidified Boston's spot in the Top 30 Most Economically Powerful Cities in the World. Healthcare professionals often relocate to Boston to work at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Public Transit Routes

Transit Time

The map above shows how far you can travel in 30 minutes from Boston on public transit.

Boston has about 247 car shares from RelayRides, Zipcar, Hertz On Demand and Enterprise CarShare.

Neighborhood Guides

Thinking of renting an apartment or buying in Boston? Ask our neighborhood guides a question.

Voula Paras

I grew up in west Roxbury mass, I am currently a home maker mother of 2, am engaged, travel around Boston and surrounding towns daily. I am a motivated go getter willing to try new things with a great scence of humor. Feel free to contact me if needed any info about Boston and surrounding towns.

Bike Score

Bike Lanes

Hills

Bike Commuters

What's It Like to Live in Boston?

Mission Hill Playground

Park Street Station

Castle At Park Plaza Hotel

Francis D Martini Memorial Shell

Overview

Founded in 1630, Boston is one of the oldest cities in the US. Its critical role in US history isn’t confined to the Revolutionary War, though. The first public school was opened in Boston, and the city built the first subway system in the US in 1897. Boston was progressive about transit decades – a whole century! – before most of America’s cities. A city with that kind of foresight about mass transit means that there are solid foundations in place for great walkable communities.

The Boston area is home to a number of prestigious universities. Harvard and MIT across the Charles River in Cambridge. Tufts – well known for its medical school – is north of the city. That’s just big names, Boston has more than 100 colleges and universities and an estimated student population of over 250,000. The city is home to the iconic Red Sox, the Celtics, and the world famous Boston Marathon. Because of its location on the banks of the Charles, it’s known for rowing and is the site of the annual Head of the Charles Regatta.

All those students make for an educated work force. Hospitals are some of the biggest employers in the region, though there’s also a large financial services sector; Fidelity Investments is here. There are a few publishers including Houghton Mifflen and Bedford-St. Martins. Car share company Zipcar has their headquarters in Boston and many big tech companies – Microsoft, Twitter, Cisco, Hewlett-Packard – have satellite campuses in the region.

The oldest public park in the United States is in Boston – Boston Commons – and the city has been highly rated for its public park system. The city gets four true seasons, with spring and fall being spectacular, flowering trees or changing leaves, you get them both. Boston’s Irish roots still influence local culture, as does the sizeable Italian population. The city also has a large Jewish community.

Francis D Martini Memorial Shell

SoWa Open Market

Getting Around

The MBTA combines a subway (the “T”), bus, commuter rail and ferry boat system to provide transit to the greater Boston area. The extensive subway system includes a connection to Logan International Airport. If the subway doesn’t reach your neighborhood, the commuter rail line probably does. Bus service fills in the gaps.

Amtrak and a handful of bus lines run regular service to New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC, and there are a number of express bus lines that serve these routes as well. If you need a car to run errands or move something big, ZipCar has dozens of stations not just in the city, but out in Brookline, Brighton, Medford, Malden, and more.

MassBike publishes the map that shows where the best bike routes are in Boston – and most of the topography is very bicycle friendly. They’re plentiful, as you’d expect in a city with so many students. The city is seeing increasing number of bicycle commuter and continues to install bike racks and secure bike parking at major T stations. The Hubway has 72 stations in central Boston and 32 stations in Cambridge, Brookline, and Somerville.

The oldest continuously operated restaurant in America. JFK was a regular here.

Aerinon Union Oyster House, Inc.

Neighborhoods

The North End is a historic neighborhood – it was where Paul Revere lived – and it’s top ranked in the city for walkability. It’s densely populated, the streets are narrow, there’s an abundance of excellent restaurants, and it’s got one of the city’s best public schools. This was once a primarily Italian neighborhood; gentrification has changed the character. There are more professionals and more fancy renovations of the colonial era brick buildings, and there are brand new luxury condo complexes right on the waterfront. You can have a gourmet kitchen and balcony with a view across the river while being walking distance from everything you need.

Chinatown also ranks very high for walkability. At street level, it’s got all the stuff you’d expect from a historic Chinatown, funky markets, great restaurants, but Chinatown is also home to towering modern highrise apartment buildings and some nicely renovated classic brick buildings.

You’ll find one and two bedroom apartments in modern buildings with onsite gyms, stainless steel kitchen appliances, and other luxury amenities.

West of downtown, Allston is on the light rail line and has lots of single family homes, some of them quite large, with four or more bedrooms. Forbes Magazine called Allston “blue collar meets hipster” in reference to the large student population mixed with working class families. There are two and three story homes here, places with hardwood floors, off street parking, and you may find prices a little lower than in other Boston neighborhoods.

Dorchester Heights National Historic Site

Navarrette Grocery

Roslindale Fish Market

Parkview Inn

Fenway, the area around the stadium, has a Whole Foods market and is bordered on one side by Back Bay Fens, a park with a rose garden, play fields, and, because of the fresh water, a nice spot for birders. It’s not just baseball at Fenway, the Boston Symphony is nearby and the Museum of Fine Arts. There are apartments in older, attractive brick buildings, some of them quite large. A few of the buildings have nice detailing still in place – box molding ceilings in the public areas, fireplaces, hardwood and hardwood floors.

Cambridge, across the river from Boston and home to Harvard University, has a mix of student housing, row houses and townhomes, and swanky new apartments. It’s possible to find some single family homes here, but most of the rentals are studios up to two bedroom apartments.

Everything near the university is walkable and you’re never far from transit. Because you’re close to campus, there’s all kinds of street life – there are dozens of restaurants and cafes in West Cambridge the neighborhood just south of campus.

There’s no shortage of walkable options in Boston. Should you pick a place right in the center of the city, or further out on the commuter line, it’s entirely possible to live car-free in this historic – yet always forward thinking – city.

Home to MBTA, the world's first subway system and dubbed "The Walking City" Boston is a pedestrian's perfect city. Bostonites can catch a Red Sox game at Fenway Park, or visit Boston Common, the oldest public park in the US.

The powerhouse investment firm, Fidelity Investments, solidified Boston's spot in the Top 30 Most Economically Powerful Cities in the World. Healthcare professionals often relocate to Boston to work at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Find apartments to rent in one of Boston's many historic neighborhoods. Heading to Beantown for college? Find walkable Boston college apartments for rent near Harvard, MIT, or Boston College. 63% of Boston residents rent their home. Search for apartments or homes in Beacon Hill, Brighton, Dorchester, or Charleston.

MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) makes transportation around the city easy, with convenient access to the Boston Subway, Green Line, Blue Line and Orange Line. Find the best place to live in Boston with Walk Score.

Take a tour of the U.S.S. Constitution Old Ironside at the Boston Navy Yard.